Pillow Talk
by Heavenly Pearl
Summary: Layla thought she knew her long time costar, and sometimes lover, better than anyone. She was wrong. Takes place during Episode 16.


Pillow Talk

"Brava, brava."

Startled from my thoughts as I took off my stage make-up, I looked up at my mirror and saw the reflection of a handsome blond man standing in the doorway to my private dressing room, clapping his hands. Normally, I wouldn't have minded his presence, but I was not in the mood for company tonight.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Yuri?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at my long-time co-star.

Yuri shrugged. "It's never bothered you before," he replied, entering the room without an invitation and coming up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. His eyebrows arched in mild surprise. "I must say you're looking rather tense, Layla. Something wrong?"

I sighed, reaching for my face cream. As if he didn't know. Performers were resigning from Kaleido Stage right and left, and I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that Yuri was behind it all. I didn't have any positive proof, of course, other than a few snatches of hushed conversations I heard backstage, but there had been a marked change in Yuri ever since our newest show _Arabian Nights _had opened, one that I couldn't quite ignore no matter how much I hated to believe the rumors were true.

"I just have some things on my mind, that's all."

"If that's the case, why don't you come over to my place, and I'll see if I can do something to get your mind off things for a while?" he suggested in a low, seductive voice, his mouth right beside my ear.

Not really in the mood, I started to say "no," but then I felt Yuri's magic fingers begin to gently knead my shoulders. Despite myself, I had to admit the massage felt good, and I closed my eyes, my resolve weakening under his touch.

"Meet you at the car in ten minutes?" I found myself saying.

Yuri smiled. "I'll be waiting."

With that, he left, and I finished getting dressed, changing out of my _Arabian Nights _costume and into a red strapless dress. Fifteen minutes later, we were on our way to his apartment, the ride silent as Yuri sped along the Cape Mary roads.

Yuri and I were not exactly a couple.

We were… Actually, I didn't quite know what we were. Some might call us lovers, but that word implied an intimacy beyond the physical; Yuri and I were only about the sex. Whenever either of us felt the urge, I would come to him or he would come to me, and we would spend an incredible night in bed together, only to return to our professional selves the next day at training. The arrangement suited me just fine, as I wasn't in the market for any kind of romantic relationship. At the moment, my career was my number one priority, and the last thing I needed was a boyfriend to provide me with distractions from my work.

It also didn't hurt that Yuri was an amazing lover. He knew my body like no other man did, able to take me to the heights of ecstasy, and that night was no exception. Even though I knew there was a distinct possibility that I would regret ever letting him touch me if what I suspected was true, I managed to put my suspicions out of my mind as we fumbled with our clothes and tumbled into his bed, our sweating bodies melding together as we became one.

"Relaxed yet?" Yuri asked after I had reached my climax, a slight smirk on his lips as I attempted to catch my breath.

Unable to speak, I nodded instead, and Yuri rolled off of me, reaching for the pack of cigarettes I knew he kept in the drawer of his nightstand. After sex was the only time he allowed himself to smoke.

As I watched him take one of the cigarettes out of the pack and go to the sliding doors that led out to his bedroom balcony, I suddenly remembered everything Yuri had managed to make me forget during those few passionate moments. I rolled on to my stomach, craning my neck to watch him smoke, and decided if I really wanted to know the truth regarding his involvement in what was happening at Kaleido Stage, now was probably my best chance. Yuri always lowered his guard after we slept together.

"Yuri."

Yuri, not seeming to care that he was still completely naked, slid one of the doors open and lit his cigarette. "Hmm?"

"Are you behind the recent burst of resignations at Kaleido Stage?" I asked him straight out, never one for subtleties.

Yuri took a long drag on his cigarette, not looking the least surprised by my accusation. In fact, he seemed almost amused. "Direct and to-the-point as usual," he said, briefly glancing in my direction. "That is one of the things I've always liked about you."

"Are the rumors true?"

"What do you think, Layla?"

"I know you have a grudge against Kalos because of your father's death," I said, frowning as I sat back up. "You blame him for what happened, and I've suspected for a long time that you were planning some kind of revenge, but I never in my wildest dreams thought you would do something like…this. I thought you loved working at Kaleido Stage."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

My eyes narrowed. My suspicions were right after all. "Then it is true. You have been headhunting Kaleido Stage's performers to join your new company."

"Jealous that I didn't ask you?" he asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

I, for one, however, found little amusing about the situation. "I wouldn't go with you even if you asked."

"That's what I thought." He took another drag on the cigarette, exhaling slowly before continuing. "Not that it matters. I have my eye on somebody else to become my new leading lady."

I barely managed to hold back a gasp, knowing immediately who he had in mind.

"Sora?"

"It's true that she is inexperienced and a bit rough around the edges, but she is just what my company needs: a fresh new talent," Yuri declared, finally snuffing his cigarette on edge of the glass door and tossing the butt outside. He then slid the door close, coming back to bed. "After all, she's already developed a bit of a following among Kaleido Stage's audience thanks to her portrayal of the Little Mermaid; all she needs is a chance to shine outside of your shadow to go all the way to the top.

"What makes you so certain Sora will agree to go with you and leave Kaleido Stage?"

"If she's smart, she will not pass up such a golden opportunity."

"I think you will find it not so easy to persuade her," I insisted. Ever since Kalos partnered us up for the climax scene in _Arabian Nights_, I had gotten to know Sora quite well. No matter what kind of offer Yuri made her, I doubted she would ever take him up on it. Her attachment to Kaleido Stage was just as strong as mine, maybe even more. "Sora would never leave Kaleido Stage."

"We shall see," Yuri said, appearing none too concerned about the possibility of failure. "I intend to speak to her tomorrow over lunch. Wish me luck?"

"What about my father?" I asked instead, pulling up a sheet to cover my nakedness. I would never wish him good luck in his endeavor to ruin the one thing I held dear. Never. "I've heard rumors of an offer to buy out his shares in Kaleido Stage. Do you have something to do with that as well?"

"You certainly are full of questions tonight, my dear Layla," Yuri replied, chuckling as he turned over on his side and placed his hand on my thigh. "Why don't you just forget all this…unpleasantness for a while? We'll have plenty of time to be enemies later, if that is what you want us to be."

I immediately slapped his hand away, offended he thought I was so easy. "You don't honestly think I'm going to sleep with you again, knowing what I know now, do you?"

He shrugged, rolling back on his back and folding his hands behind his head. "It was worth a shot."

"You still haven't answered my question, Yuri. Are you behind the offer to buy my father's shares of Kaleido Stage? Just what are you planning to do?"

"I'm afraid you will just have to wait and see like everybody else."

It was becoming obvious that I was not going to get any more information out of him tonight, so I reached for my dress, which was laying at the foot of the bed, and pulled it over my head, smoothing the fabric down until everything was covered. I then grabbed my purse and my heels from the floor, sliding the shoes on as I looked for my missing panties.

"Leaving already?" Yuri asked, watching me dress. He made no attempt to stop me, not even when I passed right by his side of the bed during my search.

"I'll call a cab," I informed him before he could offer to drive me home. "Where are they…?"

Yuri held up a black, lacy thong. "Looking for these?"

Glaring at him, I snatched the thong from his hand and stuffed it in my purse. "I may not know exactly what you are planning, Yuri Killian," I said, determined to save face, "but whatever it is, for your sake, I hope you reconsider. You can try, but Kaleido Stage will never die. I will make certain of that."

And, with those final words, I turned around and left, tears stinging my eyes.

DISCLAIMER: _Kaleido Star _doesn't belong to me.


End file.
